Arizona Diamondbacks Game Preview, #108: How low can we go?

Max Scherzer RHP, 11-6, 2.85

Zack Godley RHP, 3-1, 5.63

Trea Turner - CF	Michael Bourn - CF
Ben Revere - LF	Chris Owings - SS
Bryce Harper - RF	Jake Lamb - 3B
Daniel Murphy - 1B	Paul Goldschmidt - 1B
Anthony Rendon - 3B	David Peralta - RF
Danny Espinosa - SS	Yasmany Tomas - LF
Wilmer Difo - 2B	Brandon Drury - 2B
Pedro Severino - C	Tuffy Gosewisch - C
Max Scherzer - RHP	Zack Godley - RHP

We did it! By losing last night’s contest with a six-run margin, the Diamondbacks tied the team record for worst three-game set in franchise history. It has been close to 11 years since the Diamondbacks have been beaten as badly over a trio of games, as has happened in the Dodgers’ finale and first two contests of the Nationals’ set, being outscored by 8-38. At the end of August 2005, we lost a set at Chase Field to the Mets, 1-4, 1-14 and 4-18, for a 6-36 total. The other occasion was back in June 2000, when they dropped a game in LA 0-4, then went to Coors and were hammered 5-14 and 2-19, for a 7-37 margin.

Can we go further? The worst four-game streak in Arizona history was that 2005 run, when we had lost the preceding game in Cincinnati by seven runs, 6-13. Or you could tack two games on after the Mets blowout, 1-3 and 3-11, and end up with the same -37 differential. So, that’s the bar for this afternoon’s contest. Since we’re going up against Max Scherzer, I don’t expect the offense exactly to put up massive numbers on that side of the equation. But if the bullpen keeps pitching as they have done, they might well be able to do it all by themselves. Here are the combined lines for our relief corps since the start of the Dodgers series:

• 7/29 @ LA: 2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO
• 7/30 @ LA: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER,. 2 BB, 2 SO
• 7/31 @ LA 2.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO
• 8/1 vs. WAS: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO
• 8/2 vs. WAS: 3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
• TOTAL: 16.1 IP, 32 H, 26 R, 25 ER, 8 BB, 13 SO, 13.78 ERA

I’d laugh, except I can’t see for crying. Since June 24, the D-backs are 7-24, easily the worst record in the majors and a streak not matched since 2004. They have been outscored over almost six weeks by 95 runs - more than three runs per game. If that isn’t enough to get people fired on tomorrow’s off-day, I don’t know what is, because it seems painfully clear that, whatever individual players may be doing, the results are unacceptable. Changes MUST be made - even if they are entirely cosmetic ones, that would at least send a signal ownership finds the current situation unacceptable. So, fire Baxter, for all I care. [Actually, now you mention it...]